Duke special - Press Release, February 2005

'Duke Special has taken Dance Hall, Northern Soul and intelligent pop and lovingly crafted and carved out a style of his own, proudly led by his love of the old ivories.' Charlotte Dryden, The Fly

Duke Special releases 'Adventures in Gramophone – The Two EPs' on May 9th via Hag records (cat HAG012P). It comprises tracks from his two highly sought after independent EPs 'Lucky Me' and 'My Villain Heart'.

Bruised romanticism is probably not the first thing you notice about Duke Special. If you meet him in the street, it's more likely to be the unlikely dreadlocks and implausibly wide trousers. If you see him onstage you'll be struck by his remarkable voice, and then perhaps the gramophone and the curious menagerie of supporting musicians. But his songs - heartfelt, poetic and passionate - will be what stay with you.

"My most favourite thing was to sit in the dark, playing the piano. Music was all I wanted to do." The Duke grew up in Belfast with his mother, father and three sisters. "My sisters and I all learnt piano. It wasn't an optional activity." When they were young, the Duke and his sisters would sing traditional Irish songs in churches and community centres. "That's probably where my sense of melody comes from, from folk music, church music - music for people to sing together." It's no surprise then that a Duke Special gig will often end with a sing-along that few can resist.

"People always used to say that my songs sounded like something from a musical," says the Duke. "For a long time that horrified me." As a reaction, he started playing in a succession of rock bands with little success. "Finally I realised that I had to do what came naturally to me. But I wanted to find a way to play the piano and sing that didn't make me the new Elton John."

The concept of musicals led him to consider a more theatrical approach. "I got really interested in vaudeville and music hall. I loved the idea of all these strange Victorian entertainments with their crazy descriptions. I recognised that spirit in what I was doing. I wanted everything to sound 'old'. But most of all I want to be entertaining and connect with people on an emotional level".

Duke Special finally began appearing as himself in 2002, accompanying himself on the piano and with an antique gramophone. "It instantly felt right, and the way it looked on the stage with the gramophone and old box microphone meant that people knew it was something different."

The gramophone is also integral to his new album 'Adventures in Gramophone', which features an array of fascinating sounds from cheese graters and wardrobe doors to harp, brass and strings all woven around the piano and his unique voice. "I wanted to create a world for the listener to visit that was unlike anywhere else they'd been or anything else they'd heard."

The Duke has gradually recruited a small collective of eccentric musicians to explore this world with him, including drummer and percussionist Chip Bailey ("A clown, a juggler, a renegade Morris-man. He's definitely one of a kind"), Réa Curran on trumpet and harmonium ("He has two jobs. One is fronting a Tom Waits tribute band, the other is acting musical director of a puppet theatre") and Ben Hales of Aqualung on guitar and backing vocals. In some combination they are regularly to be found bringing the Duke's antique songs of confused love and doubting faith to life.

Duke Special has toured extensively over the past year throughout Ireland, the UK and Germany including three tours with Aqualung as well as dates with Rufus Wainwright and John Power (The La's, Cast). Meanwhile Jack White (of The White Stripes) and The Hives are among his growing set of admirers.

Duke Special will be on tour with Juliet Turner in February:

Feb 13th Manchester, Life Cafe
Feb 14th Sheffield, Boardwalk
Feb 15th Wolverhampton, Robin 2
Feb 16th Bristol, The Fleece
Feb 18th Penzance, Acorn
Feb 19th Exeter, Phoenix
Feb 20th Southampton, Brook
Feb 21st Brighton, Komedia
Feb 23rd Norwich, Arts Centre
Feb 24th London, Borderline
Feb 25th Gloucester, Guildhall
Feb 26th Swindon, Arts Centre

For more info, see www.dukespecial.com or contact Piranha PR - Rosie on ,

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